February Car Sales: Fearful Americans Hunker Down, Steer Clear of Dealer Showrooms

February Car Sales: Fearful Americans Hunker Down, Steer Clear of Dealer Showrooms

  By Michelle Krebs and Bill Visnic

DETROIT - Americans, unemployed or fearing they will be, hunkered down last month, cutting their household budgets, squirreling away money and avoiding dealer showrooms as February car sales sunk to their lowest level of any February in more than four decades.

Automakers sold 691,073 vehicles in February, down 40.9 percent from the 1,168,729 they sold in February a year ago. That marked the lowest level of car sales for any February since 1967, according to General Motors' record books. That fact is even more eye-popping when population is considered: in 1967, the U.S. had 103 million registered drivers; today the nation has nearly twice that many.

And it put the closely-monitored Seasonally Adjusted Annualized Rate (SAAR) at 9.1 million vehicles, the lowest SAAR since 1982.

Not coincidentally, consumer confidence, a key indicator for how vehicle sales will fare, sunk to record lows in February, according to at least two measurements. And much of that has to do with dimming employment picture as well as dwindling household worth.

  Do the math, suggests General Motors top sales analyst Mike DiGiovanni: 10 million are unemployed, another 36 million - 29 percent of the U.S. population -- worry they will lose their jobs, according to a USA Today -Gallup Poll, and two-thirds of Americans don't believe the U.S. will see a full economic recovery for five years.

"That's where we are in terms of consumer sentiment," said DiGiovanni in a conference call with analysts and media. "Americans are hunkering down trying to save to protect themselves from uncertainty," added DiGiovanni, noting the savings rate is at unprecedented highs.

Incentives Set New Monthly Records

It wasn't for lack of trying by automakers that February car sales were dismal. They spent bundles on incentives during the month - an average of $2,914 for every vehicle sold for an all-time February record, noted Jesse Toprak, executive director of Industry Analysis for Edmunds.com, parent of AutoObserver.com. The Big Six of GM, Ford, Chrysler, Toyota, Nissan and Honda spent a record amount for February as did individual companies.

Chrysler spent about $5,500 per vehicle - a new personal high for any month, according to Edmunds.com's analysis.

Incentives were high in February because automakers had an unusually high number of leftover 2008 models in inventory. Of all new cars sold in February, 21 percent were leftover 2008 models, said Toprak. By comparison, only 9 percent of new cars sold in February a year ago were leftover 2007 models.

Shifting From New To Used

Another factor for weak new car sales was the fact that many would-be new-car buyers, somewhere along the line, are instead buying used cars.

Of new car shoppers, 27% -- or about in four shoppers -- ended up buying a used car, according to Edmunds.com's analysis. Historically, that switch from new to used has been about 10 percent of new car shoppers.

"Dealerships have always pitched used versus new cars," said Edmunds.com's Toprak. "The difference now is that consumers are more receptive to the pitch."

Indeed, GM's top sales executive Mark LaNeve said GM dealers are selling a lot of late-model used cars because they are making hefty gross profits on them, and they are finding financing easier to obtain on those used cars as they represent less risk to the lender.

The evolution of Certified Pre-Owned vehicles, those checked out to meet certain standards by the automaker and then backed by a warranty, make it a safe purchase for the consumer. And the numbers illustrate it is working. In January, 22 percent of vehicles sold were CPOs; well above 12 percent from January a year ago. February is expected to show similar numbers.

"The fact that a record percentage of new-car shoppers clouds traditional measurements of tracking sales and suggest the market is more depressed than it is," said Toprak. "The higher demand for used cars shows there is demand somewhere and consumers aren't giving up buying cars completely."

But it's not good news for automakers who are spending huge dollars on marketing and incentives and make their money on new cars.

GM: Biggest Drop of the Big Six

GM sold 127,9296 vehicles in February, plummeting 52.9 percent from a year ago for the biggest drop among the Big Six automakers. GM blamed some of the decline on a 75-percent reduction in fleet sales, but the barrage of dire news about GM's financial situation and future prospects can't be helping either.

With year-over-year comparisons pretty much irrelevant, a February-to-January comparison paints a slightly better picture. GM sales were down one percent in February from January unadjusted for selling days, or up 7 percent if the different in selling days is included.

Not surprisingly, GM's divisions up "for strategic review" - Hummer, Saab and Saturn - were down a combined 59 percent. "Their sales clearly were hit by the review," acknowledged GM's top sales executive Mark LaNeve.

Sales for Hummer, sliding substantially throughout 2008, took the biggest hit with sales plunging 68.7 percent from a year ago, the largest single decline of any GM brand. GM has said it will decide by the end of March if it will sell, close or, less likely, revamp Hummer.

Saab, which filed for the equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization in Sweden after being cut loose from GM, sold a scant 712 vehicles despite some of the most generous cash rebates and financing incentives in the industry. Saab's February sales were down 58.9 percent from a year ago and 25 percent from January.

Saturn sales nosedived 57.2 percent from last February but posted a 3-percent increase from January. Ironically, the Saturn Astra, introduced last year, was the only GM light vehicle to post a year-over-year sales increase.

Nevertheless, clearly Saturn's once very loyal followers are going elsewhere. Edmunds.com's transaction data shows less than 1 percent of those who traded in a Saturn in February purchased another.

Of all GM's divisions, Pontiac fared the best, down "only" 40.7 percent compared with last February and was up 56 percent from January.

Ford: February Not the Cruelest Month

Saying they wish sales would have been better in February but insisting the company will stay with its strategy of resisting incentive hikes while simultaneously continuing to match production with increasingly low buying levels, Ford sales analysts stared down a rugged sales decline of 48.4 percent compared with last February.

Ford's February sales were up 5 percent over January, but the company's total sales for the core Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands were just 96,044, with the most notable hammering coming in the form of a 55.1-percent plunge for the F-Series pickup line, which was totally redesigned for 2009. Ford moved just 23, 614 F-Series compared with 52,548 F-Series sold in February 2008.

Company analysts were quick to point out the company's market share in the pickup segment nonetheless improved in February.

Ford kept the accounting fairly simple: every model save one from the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury lineups posted a sales decrease. Somehow, the Mercury Sable managed a 35.5-percent gain, from 938 units in 2008 to 1,271 this February.

With a new, 2010 Fusion midsizer around the corner, the current car's 49.2-percent slide is tolerable, but the battering continued for the once-strong Focus (-39.2 percent) and the Mustang, also with an imminent re-do, sustained a lingering slide by dropping 61.4 percent.

Ford's crossovers fared little better: the Edge plunged 55.2 percent and the new Flex continues to sell at a modest pace, moving just 2,352 units in February. Apart from the Sable, the compact Escape crossover's 28.9-percent decline was the month's best single-model performance for any of Ford's brands.

Ford's aged and out-of-sync SUVs once again were battered, with February bringing the slap of a 75.2-percent plunge for the Expedition - to a negligible 1,564 units, with Expedition's Lincoln Navigator counterpart at 365 sales - followed by a 67.5-percent dive for Explorer; the vehicle whose annual sales once hovered around 300,000 units set a pace in February for barely more than a tenth of that figure, shifting a meager 3,073 units.

The story by brand also was consistent in a narrow band: Ford dropped 48.8 percent, Lincoln 41.2 percent and Mercury by 44.6 percent.

The Volvo premium brand continued its slump, off 55.3 percent for the month. No Volvo posted a positive result and the brand moved a total of just 3,356 units.

Ford officials stressed the company's decreasing reliance on hiking incentives to move the metal, saying the company's average incentive spend decreased by $800 between January and February, while the industry incentive average increased by $400 per vehicle in the same period.

Chrysler: Outperforms Rivals

The big news at Chrysler LLC is the fact its sales weren't as bad as its chief Detroit rivals, down 44 percent overall versus the 48.4-percent drop for Ford and the 52.9-percent slide for GM.

But the main point of emphasis from Chrysler vice chairman and president Jim Press was separating retail performance from fleet sales. The Detroit automakers have been increasingly fleeing unprofitable fleet sales (that used to maintain ambitious assembly-plant production quotas) as each has initiated drastic downsizing of their manufacturing operations.

Press said factoring out Chrysler's massive February fleet-sales decline of 71 percent left the retail portion of sales at a comparatively robust drop of 26 percent.

He also said that without the drag of fleet-sale declines, Chrysler improved its share of retail U.S. sales from 9.6 percent in February 2008 to 11.1 percent last month.

But the optimistic retail-sales talk didn't change Chrysler's raw sales numbers, few of which were preceded by a plus sign. Only the Jeep Wrangler (+28 percent) and Dodge Journey crossover (+522 percent compared with a launch month last February) posted positive sales. Nonetheless, even a few models with improved sales bested the performance of many automakers in February.

Several mainstream Chrysler models were hammered, however, including the Chrysler Sebring midsize sedan, off an eye-opening 87 percent, the once-mighty Chrysler 300 dropped 70 percent and the Dodge Caliber compact car plunged 77 percent to just 2,519 units sold.

The Dodge Ram pickup, one of the few new Chrysler models this year, was off 36 percent, although Chrysler said it was a record month for sales of the redesigned pickup as dealers clear stocks of the previous-generation model. Dodge's Dakota pickup fell 49 percent to just 1,334 units sold and the Charger fullsize sedan was down 31 percent - although it outsold the 300 by more than 5,000 units.

The Jeep brand had little to point to besides the performance of the evergreen Wrangler nameplate. The Compass hatchback dropped 68 percent and its platform-mate Patriot slid 58 percent, leaving the brand with a total drop of 32 percent for the month. Jeep also is off 41 percent for the year

Steve Landry, executive vice president for North American sales, called February "a terrific retail month," adding that February "set us up for what we believe could be a pretty strong March." Accordingly, he said Chrysler will continue to keep the wick turned up on its incentives, continuing with the Employee Plus Plus program and adding a free Hemi V8 for Ram pickup purchasers in March.

Discussing the high level of Chrysler's incentive spending has become an industry pastime - and one that drew a semi-restrained outburst from Press during a conference call with media and analysts.

Edmunds.com determined that Chrysler's incentive spending in February was the highest in the industry and the highest in the company's history, at an average of $5,556 for every new vehicle it sold.

Press defended Chrysler's incentive strategy, accusing competitors and the media of "penalizing" Chrysler for being at the forefront of reducing the fixed costs that allow it more latitude in incentive spending while maintaining profitability on each sale.

He said Chrysler's pricing is "satisfying what the market wants in terms of transaction price," and the customers currently are trending away from paying a premium for prestige badges and nameplates and seeking more value.

"We aren't building cars the dealers aren't ordering," he added. "Our pipeline is clean. We're running a good business."

Toyota: Venza Is Only Standout

Toyota, which has struggled along with the best of them in recent months, sold 109,583 Toyota and Lexus vehicles in February, down 37 percent from a year ago. Both Toyota and Lexus divisions suffered declines of more than 35 percent from a year ago.

"We're two months into the year and, so far, the results of the industry and our volume are pretty much as anticipated," said Bob Carter, group vice president in charge of the Toyota Division, in a conference call Tuesday. "The market remains lackluster."

As for the January-to-February comparison, Toyota's sales were down 7 percent from January on an unadjusted basis; up 1 percent adjusted for selling days. Lexus sales were down 11 percent from January, but the luxury marque also reduced its incentive spending by $1,000 per vehicle.

Toyota's brightest spot was with its new Toyota Venza. It posted sales of 2,315, the best month since it was introduced. In fact, it outsold all Scion models combined in February. Carter said Venza could get a further boost with the ramp-up of much-in-demand four-cylinder versions. Toyota is upping its Venza mix to favor four cylinders, which have been in short supply in the early days of the vehicle's launch.

Nissan: Trucks Weigh On Performance

February sales tumbled 37.1 percent for Nissan North America Inc., whose overall performance was pulled down by a hefty 51.2-percent slump in the truck portion of the showroom.

The Rogue compact crossover and the 350Z sports car were the only Nissan-badged vehicles to record a sales gain compared with February 2008; the Rogue eked out a 5.6-percent gain and the 350Z, moving aside for a redesigned model, was up 33 percent.

The FX crossover from Nissan's upscale Infiniti division was the only other model to post a monthly sales gain, jumping by 21.4 percent.

Nissan's truck business was battered in February: five of its eight trucks were down 60 percent or more, led by a 68.9-percent plunge for the Xterra SUV and a 67.5-percent drop for the Armada, which recently had been a minor bright spot for the brand.

Worryingly, Nissan's popular and segment-defining Murano midsize crossover experienced continued weakness, dropping a precipitous 59 percent. And the fading Titan pickup sold just 1,508 units - a 60.3-percent slide.

Excluding the 350Z, Nissan's passenger-car sales were led by the Versa subcompact, which slid 11.6 percent. Declines increased with size: Sentra was down 21.2 percent, Altima slid 31.5 percent and the recently redesigned Maxima flagship fell 38.4 percent.

At Infiniti, total division sales dropped 36.8 percent. The G sedan and coupe dropped 47.5 and 45.7 percent, respectively, and the QX56 SUV plunged 73.1 percent to just 253 units sold.

Honda: As Accord Goes, So Goes Honda

With 15,967 Accords sold in February - a 39.8-percent drop - American Honda Motor Co. Inc. continues to struggle in proportion with its rivals, but Accord's decline seems particularly symbolic of the  industry's inability to make even historically strong products resonate in the deteriorating U.S. market.

Accord's February performance is the lowest sales volume Edmunds.com has ever recorded for the nameplate. The best-seller's drop helped pace Honda to a February decline of 35.4 percent as the subcompact Fit and the Acura TSX were the only models from either brand to post a sales gain - and even their numbers were down from January's mark.

Along with the Accord, perennial best-seller Civic dove 31.3 percent, including a dropoff of 21.5 percent for Civic Hybrid to 1,362 units.

Honda's trucks were hard hit, led by a 67.4-percent plunge for the Ridgeline midsize pickup and a continuing weak performance from the Pilot crossover, which fell 46 percent to just 6,678 units sold.

Moreover, February was the sixth consecutive month Honda's total sales - including the Acura upscale unit - slipped to less than 100,000 units.

Acura's troubles continue, with the MDX and RDX crossovers respectively off by 54.6 and 56.8 percent. The TSX gained by 4.1 percent, which was futile against the 52.5-percent drop for the RL flagship and 37.2-percent dive for the comparatively new TL midsize sedan.

Subaru: Bucking the Trend - Again

Subaru of America bucked the downward sales trend yet again in February, reporting a 1-percent sales gain from a year ago with sales of 13,089 vehicles sold.  So far this year, Subaru sales are 4-percent ahead of sales for the same period in 2008.

And once again the award-winning Forester, redesigned last year, carried the day. Forester sales totaled 5,978 in February, a 101-percent increase from the year-ago February.

The rest of Subaru's line saw double-digit declines, most of which were drops well below the overall industry decline. Subaru replaces the Legacy later this year.

Hyundai: Elantra Helps Offset Sonata Slump

  Hyundai sold 30,621 vehicles in February, down only 1.5 percent from a year ago but up 25 percent from January. Hyundai also had record February incentives for the month, according to Edmunds.com.

Hyundai's overall sales were buoyed by higher sales of the Elantra in particular as well as the Accent, Entourage and the all-new Genesis, which had sales of 1,263 in February.

"We're pleased to maintain our sales volumes on a year-over-year basis, especially in an industry under this type of economic stress," said Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's vice president of national sales.

Zuchowski noted, and Edmunds.com data confirms, Hyundai is getting a lift from the Hyundai Assurance Program that allows buyers of a Hyundai to return the vehicle if they lose income due to unemployment or medical program. The Korean automaker added a temporary new twist to the program. The Hyundai Assurance Plus adds 90 days of payment relief to the existing protection plan and is part of a spring promotion that runs through April 30.

Also giving Hyundai a boost is the fact that the Hyundai Genesis won the 2009 North American Car of the Year award, which the automaker is promoting heavily in its very clever ad campaign. "We're continuing to gain momentum with the Hyundai Genesis - the North American Car of the Year - which set a monthly sales record in February," Zuchoswki said. "New models like Elantra Touring and Genesis Coupe are arriving now in dealer showrooms, just in time for the spring selling season."

However, Hyundai sales are being dragged down by slumping sales of its bread-and-butter Sonata midsize sedan. Honda sold only 4,734 Sonata sedans this February, compared with 8,538 in February a year ago.

Hyundai pointed out that its Eastern sales region once again turned in the best sales performance in the country, with sales up 12 percent over last February, and 42 percent over January. In addition to the Assurance programs and strong national advertising, Hyundai saw increased showroom traffic in response to Super Bowl and Academy Award advertising, said Peter DiPersia, Eastern region general manager.

Edmunds.com's analysis of Super Bowl and Academy Award ads showed the ad messages, indeed, resonated with consumers, with shopping consideration on Edmunds.com's Web site for Hyundai models soaring following both events.

Kia: Sedona Minivan Sales Surge

Kia sold 22,073 cars in February, an increase of 0.4 percent from the year-ago month, aided by incentives that set new highs for Kia for any February.

The Sorento SUV and Sedona minivan led the charge. In fact, they were the only vehicles in Kia's line to show year-over-year increases, but they were big hikes. Kia sold 3,598 Sorento SUVs, up from 1,369 a year ago, and 6,211 Sedona minivans, up from 2,454. The Kia Soul is just arriving in the market with 34 sold in February.

"As auto sales continue to be affected by the economy, families still need value-laden vehicles like the Sorento and Sedona that are nicely packaged for comfort and offer practicality and safety features at a price point within their budgets," said Michael Sprague, marketing vice president of Kia Motors America.

Mazda: Mazda5 Defies Gravity

Mazda sold 16,401 vehicles in February, a 30-percent decline from a year ago.

The Mazda 6, completely redesigned late last year, had sales off 36 percent from earlier. The sporty MX-5 Miata and RX8 had sales down roughly 50 percent each. Mazda 3 sales were off about 20 percent. All of Mazda's SUV and truck sales were down significantly.

But the Mazda5 people mover defied the industry's pull-down posting sales of 2,256 vehicles, up 11.7 percent.

Audi: A5 Posts Gains

Audi sold 4,653 units sold, a 25-percent decrease from February sales in 2008 but still below the average fall of the industry, one in which the luxury segment got pummeled. As a result, Audi predicts it will increase market share in the U.S. luxury vehicle market when final results are tallied.

The Audi A5 was the only model to post an increase over last year. Audi sold 494 A5 models, up 29 percent from February. Coupled with January sales, the Audi A5 is outselling its 2008 pace by 51 percent with 1,097 units sold this year to date, Audi noted. Still, all other models in Audi's line are down double digits. The brand sold about 2,500 Certified Pre-Owned Audis.

"While the global outlook is challenging, we feel well-prepared and our focus is to catch the attention of consumers who are in the market for new or pre-owned vehicles," said Johan de Nysschen, Audi of America president, in a statement. "The fact that we've gained market share nearly every month over the past year is an indication that our messages of efficiency, design and innovation are connecting with consumers."

BMW: Model Build-Outs Blamed For Sales Drop

The BMW Group reported sales of its BMW and Mini brand vehicles fell 35 percent in February from a year ago. The German automaker blamed part of the decline on model year build outs.

BMW and Mini combined sold 15,805 vehicles in February, compared with 24,190 a year ago. For the year to date, the two brands have sold 30,119 vehicles for a 27-percent decline.

The group's decline came from the BMW brand, which sold 12,979 vehicles for a decrease of 38 percent. BMW executives said sales have been adversely affected by the by the model build out of the 7 Series, the new version of which launches this month, and the build out of the Z4, which is replaced with a new model in May. For the year so far, BMW brand sales are down 29 percent.

However, overall the luxury market was battered and BMW, along with other high-end makers, have been hurt as even the wealthy pull in their spending horns. BMW has cut production in Germany to keep supply in line with lower demand.

BMW's car sales fell 32 percent in the month and 28 percent so far this year. SUV sales dove 55 percent for the month, pushing them down 31 percent for the year so far.

"February was another downer for the whole market even though it was filled with compelling buys," said Jim O'Donnell, president of BMW of North America. "While we assume our sales will be affected by the overall economic environment like others, we're now entering a period of a large number of returning lease customers and it's our challenge and opportunity to put them in a new BMW in the coming months and continue to increase our share of the premium market."

Even Mini sales fell. Mini USA sold 2,826 automobiles, down 17 percent from last February.   Sales for the year so far are down about the same amount.

Again, company executives placed part of the blame on the build out of the Mini Convertible. The new model goes on sale in the U.S. at the end of this month.

"The economy slowed so much in December and January that Mini felt the pain," said Jim McDowell, Mini USA vice president. "In February however, sales were up 36 percent compared to January '09 and we're now seeing some who had been on the sidelines putting their feet back in the water shopping for cars as evidenced by increasing Web site traffic and online configurations being sent to dealers."

Daimler: Smart Sales Jump; Mercedes GLK Pitches In

Daimler AG reported sales for its Mercedes-Benz and smart brands totaled 15,614 vehicles in February, a 20.6-percent decline from the 19,665 sold a year ago.

The decrease came from Mercedes-Benz, which sold 14,199 vehicles, down 23.5 percent from last February.

Mercedes noted its newly launched 2010 GLK350 had a strong first month on the market with sales totaling 1,918 vehicles, making it one of the automaker's top-selling vehicles behind the C-Class, at 3,990 sales in February, and the E-Class, with 2,104 February sales. Mercedes-Benz is introducing the next-generation E-Class this week at the Geneva motor show.

Sales of the smart fortwo, which only hit the U.S. market in mid-January 2008, rose 28.5 percent in February. However, while its percentage change looks big, smart's sales numbers are small. Daimler sold 1,415 Smart fortwo microcars in February, compared with 1,101 a year ago, its first full month of U.S. sales.

For the first two months of this year, Mercedes sold 24,632 vehicles, a decrease of 33.1 percent over the 36,839 vehicles sold during the comparable period in 2008.

Volkswagen: New Models Soften the Blow

Volkswagen of America reported sales of 13,660 vehicles in February, a 17.5- percent decrease last February's 16,556 vehicles.

"The economy continues to be difficult for the automotive industry" Mark Barnes, Volkswagen of America's chief operating officer, said in a statement. "Despite the extremely difficult on-going economic conditions, the Volkswagen brand has been growing market share in the U.S. Our stylish new CC, one of our five all-new models, is helping us gain share with strong sales achieving its best sales month ever in February."

Still, sales of Volkswagen's mainstays were off - generally by big double-digit amounts: Rabbit, 63.5 percent; GTI, 44.0 percent; R32, 81.1 percent; Beetle, 17.1 percent; Eos, 47.1 percent; Passat, 71.0 percent; and Tourag, 32.8 percent.

New models softened the blow. The new CC chipped in 1,808 sales for the month, the Tiguan added 871 sales and the Chrysler-built Routan minivan threw in 503 sales. Jetta sales were down 12.3 percent despite the recent addition of the diesel-powered model.

Porsche: SUVs Swept Up In Luxury Downturn

Porsche sold 1,518 vehicles in February, down 11 percent from the 1,715 sold in the year-ago February, as the luxury vehicle market has plunged this year.

Porsche noted its sports cars showed "significant resilience" with the new-generation mid-engine models Boxster and Cayman recording sales of 517, up 44 percent from 358 vehicles sold during the same period last year. The 911 also "held up respectably" with sales of 557 compared to 602 in February 2008, a decrease of just 7 percent, the company pointed out.

However sales of Porsche's luxury Cayenne SUVs didn't fare as well, with sales totaling 444 for the month, down from 755 a year ago.

Through the first two months of 2009, Porsche's year-to-date U.S. sales are 3,176 versus 4,310 in 2008, a decline of 26 percent.

Suzuki: Sales Off 60%

American Suzuki sold a mere 3,495 vehicles in February, a 60-percent decline from the 8,800 sold in February a year ago.

For the year, Suzuki has sold only 7,150 vehicles, down 55 percent from 15,920 sold in the first two months of 2008.

Grand Vitara sales in February were halved. XL7 sales were down 87 percent. Sales of the SX4 and Reno/Forenza dropped 38 percent each. Suzuki sold only one Aerio and 43 Equators, Suzuki's re-badged version of the Nissan Frontier.

Mitsubishi: Sales Drop More Than Industry

Struggling Mitsubishi, which provides less and less information in its sales report every month, posted February sales of 4,484 vehicles, a 51-percent decline from 9.105 vehicle sold a year ago.

Analysis provide by Edmunds.com's sales and pricing analyst Jessica Caldwell

Graphic by Robert Holland

Photos by Manufacturers

1 - Saturn Astra

2 - Ford F-150

3 - Dodge Journey

3 - Toyota Venza

4 - Nissan Rogue

5 - Honda Accord

6 - Subaru Forester

7 - Hyundai Elantra  Touring

8 - Kia Sedona

9 - Mazda Mazda5

10 - Audi A5

11 - BMW 7-Series

12 - Mini Cooper Convertible

13 - Mercedes-Benz GLK350

14 - Volkswagen CC

15 - Porsche Cayman

Michelle Krebs:  is Editor-in-Chief of AutoObserver.com. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.